Quick observations: WSU offense falls flat in agonizing loss at Oregon State

Washington State’s inept offense was the culprit as the Cougars suffered a brutal loss to Oregon State, which was playing under an interim coach and hadn’t beaten a Football Bowl Subdivision opponent this year before Saturday’s 10-7 win at Reser Stadium. In the first of two matchups between the Pac-12 holdovers, neither team could manage much yardage, but the Beavers (2-7) found some life on a fourth-quarter scoring drive while the Cougars (4-5) fell flat in what was one of the program’s more agonizing defeats in recent memory.

Offense goes silent against maligned Beavs defense

Coming into the game, Oregon State’s defense ranked among the nation’s worst.

But the Beavers looked like a well-rounded defensive unit against WSU.

Before Saturday, the Beavers were allowing about 33 points and 413 yards per game (No. 119 and 109 nationally, respectively). Oregon State was giving up 260 passing yards per game, but held WSU quarterback Zevi Eckhaus to 146 yards on 13 of 24 passing during what was the senior’s worst performance.

Oregon State entered the day with only eight sacks (a bottom-10 mark nationally), but totaled six sacks against WSU. The Beavers were also near the bottom of the FBS rankings in takeaways with five on the year, but they tallied two interceptions Saturday.

Eckhaus didn’t look like himself. He made bad decisions, throwing into double coverage on a few occasions, lingered in the pocket too often, and missed several open receivers – he overshot a wide-open Josh Meredith on what would’ve been an easy TD early in the fourth quarter. Eckhaus took a sack on a third down on the team’s final drive, and Jack Stevens missed a 32-yard field goal with about a minute to play.

The Cougs’ ground game recorded over 100 yards for the fifth consecutive game, but the rushing attack wasn’t effective enough to extend drives during a dismal second half.

WSU went three-and-out on five straight possessions to open the second half.

After Oregon State finally broke through with a touchdown drive on its second series of the fourth quarter, WSU’s offense appeared to find some rhythm, driving deep into OSU territory twice. But those drives ended with a fourth-down incompletion and a game-ending missed field goal. WSU finished with 271 total yards, its second-lowest output of the year – coming against a Beavers defense that should have been vulnerable.

Another solid defensive

effort wasted

For both teams, there was an extraordinary lack of offensive production during the third quarter, which featured eight drives, all ending in punts. The teams combined for 37 yards, one first down, eight punts and seven three-and-outs during the quarter.

Neither defense could afford a lapse. But early in the fourth quarter, WSU allowed just two big plays, enough for Oregon State to take the lead.

The Cougs held OSU to 208 total yards (60 passing) – the Beavers’ second-worst offensive game of the year behind 147 yards against national contender Oregon.

The Beavs went 1 of 12 on third downs. WSU totaled eight tackles for loss. That should have been good enough to win, but not when the offense goes three-and-out on five straight drives and squanders its few scoring chances.

Over the past five games, WSU’s defense allowed just 13.2 points per game. But the Cougs went 2-3 in that stretch.

A breakthrough for one, a massive fall for the other

The home crowd stormed the field after the game to celebrate its rivalry win in the first leg of the “Pac-2 title” series and OSU interim coach Robb Akey, jovial as ever, joked with the CBS sideline reporter.

“That was some fun, wasn’t it?” said Akey, the former Idaho head coach (2007-12). “I do believe that puts us in first place in the Pac-2 Conference, so let’s go.”

For the Beavs, it was a breakthrough effort after a long stretch of pain. The team lost its first seven games, then fired coach Trent Bray. But OSU played an inspired game for its interim coach and finally has a reason to celebrate after stunning the Cougs, who thought they might be able to make a late-season run.

For WSU, this feels like a new season low. The Cougs had hope after playing tight with ranked foes Ole Miss and Virginia on the road, then routing Toledo. Their schedule was softening up. They might be able to get to seven or eight wins. Now, their fans can’t help but wonder how much more success there will be if their team couldn’t even get past the lowly Beavers.